Pesticide Permitting-2026 Pesticide General Permit
EPA’s 2026 Pesticide General Permit (PGP) is effective from October 31, 2026, through October 30, 2031.
On October 4, 2021, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a petition for review with the Ninth Circuit regarding the 2021 Pesticide General Permit (PGP). EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and CBD entered into a settlement agreement on July 25, 2023 to resolve the litigation. Information on the Settlement Agreement is available in Docket ID EPA-HQ-OGC-2023-0247.
As part of the Settlement Agreement, EPA agreed to issue the final 2026 PGP on or prior to December 17, 2024. The permit would still take effect October 31, 2026, when the current 2021 PGP expires.
On December 10, 2024, EPA issued the final 2026 NPDES Pesticide General Permit (PGP). See Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2023-0268. This general permit, issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, regulates point source discharges of biological pesticides and chemical pesticides that leave a residue. The permit covers mosquito and other flying insect pest control; weed and algae pest control; animal pest control; and forest canopy pest control. See Part I of the 2026 PGP’s Fact Sheet for a summary of changes to the 2021 PGP and to the proposed 2026 PGP.
On or after October 31, 2026, these applications of pesticide are covered automatically under the 2026 PGP except for Operators for which a Notice of Intent (NOI) is required. All Operators with discharges covered by this permit and discharge-related activities that overlap with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Listed Resources of Concern are required to submit an NOI. The NOI must be submitted through the NPDES e-reporting Tool PGP (NeT PGP) consistent with the earliest applicable due date identified in Table 1-2 of the PGP. See PGP Electronic Reporting for more information.
- 2026 Pesticide General Permit (pdf)
- 2026 Pesticide General Permit Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Federal Register Notice
Implementation Tools for Permittees
View tools for information to assist permittees with implementation of the EPA’s Pesticide General Permit.